Art News

Creating Our Own Soundtracks As We Watch Silent Films

December 9, 2011

If moviegoers find the sensory experience of watching the new silent film “The Artist” dramatically different from taking in the average 3-D blockbuster, it’s not just in their heads–audiences are actually using the auditory parts of their brains to create their own soundtracks.

“If we were able to record your brain while you watch a silent movie, we would see your auditory cortex activate, even though there’s not a single sound that impacts your eardrum,” said Kaspar Meyer, research assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute. (FULL ARTICLE: Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times)